Long-Term Health Consequences of Alcohol We Must Know

By Barbara Odozi

Alex was a man his family admired and friends envied. He had a great job, loving family, extensive social circle and investments here and there. Unfortunately, he was also heavily into drinking. But his habits rarely bothered anyone as he was a star performer at work. At home too, he devoted time and rarely got disoriented until one day when he was pronounced dead due to stroke.

Long-term alcohol consumption is associated with a host of adverse health outcomes like:

Brain disruptions - Even occasional drinking can disturb the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, causing delay in transmitting the signals due to which one may feel drowsy. Alcohol might also prompt behavioral and mood changes in the form of agitation, depression and cognitive decline. Heavy drinking might lead to the shrinkage of brain tissue, leading to disturbances in temperature regulation, motor coordination, sleep cycle and cognitive functions. Alcohol consumption also causes the release of another neurotransmitter, serotonin, which regulates endorphins and produces euphoria. The brain compensates for these changes by bringing some alterations which might produce negative effects like alcohol tolerance, dependence and withdrawal symptoms.

Cardiac problems - Recurrent drinking weakens the heart muscles (cardiomyopathy). As a result, sufficient blood might not be pumped into various organs which might lead to organ failure. Cardiomyopathy results in shortness of breath and irregular heartbeat and can even cause heart failure. In addition, excessive alcohol consumption causes the heart to release certain chemicals that constrict the blood vessels and raise blood pressure. Both long-term and binge drinking might lead to stroke in people without coronary heart disease.

Liver-related problems - Excessive alcohol consumption, even for a few days, causes fat accumulation in the liver. The condition is known as steatosis or fatty liver. This is the most common alcohol-induced liver disorder. This paves the way for an inflammatory disorder known as alcoholic hepatitis. For some people, alcoholic steatosis may be asymptomatic, while in others it may produce symptoms like fever, nausea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. These symptoms may get aggravated by liver enlargement, jaundice, bleeding and clotting complications. In addition, alcohol can also cause scarring of the liver known as fibrosis. Fibrosis worsens to a condition called as cirrhosis that prevents the liver from performing important functions like nutrient absorption, scavenging harmful substances from the blood and managing infections. This might lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, jaundice and even liver cancer.

Cancer risk - Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with an increased propensity for developing cancer of mouth, esophagus, pharynx, larynx, breast and liver. People who drink and smoke are more susceptible to developing cancer than people who don't. Alcohol breakdown in the body produces a chemical known as acetaldehyde which is toxic in nature. Acetaldehyde disrupts the genetic material of the cells, causing their rapid growth. Cancer can then manifest easily in such impaired cells. Alcohol can also increase the amount of estrogen in the body which might increase susceptibility to breast cancer.

Recovery from alcoholism

Alcohol consumption can disrupt the pancreas and its functions. It can also impair the immune system and make the body vulnerable to a host of health problems. In addition to psychological and physical damage, it can heighten the risk of drunk driving, violence, unsafe sexual practice and accidents. It is important that one seeks professional help before it is too late.

If your loved one is battling alcohol addiction, seek professional help. Contact the Florida Alcohol Addiction Helpline at 24/7 helpline 866-220-5381 for information on the finest alcohol rehab center in Florida offering treatment in a safe and compassionate environment.

Opioid Addiction Kept 1 Million People Out of Work in 2015, Says Study

By Barbara Odozi

The opioid epidemic has not just had a devastating impact on the lifespan of Americans, but also on the country's economy. It has cost billions of dollars to the nation as a large chunk of the population stayed away from workplace. This has been corroborated by a recently published study by the American Action Forum (AAF). The drugs had a profound effect on the productivity as nearly 1 million people (aged 25 to 54) remained absent from work in 2015 because of their opioid addiction problem, which grew each year from 1999 to 2015.

The study authors calculated that the loss of employees' productivity took a heavy toll on the economy, costing a total loss of $702 billion or nearly $44 billion loss every year. Co-author Ben Gitis, director of labor market policy at the AAF, stated that there was a loss of work hours by 0.2 percent in the given period. The average growth rate was 2 percent and if the workers attended work, the growth rate would have been 2.2 percent.

Gitis said not only opioids are causing fatalities, they are majorly hindering the nation's economic growth. He extrapolated the research results of Princeton University economist Alan Krueger, who stated that a decline in workforce participation of 20 percent and 25 percent was found for men and women, respectively due to an increase in the prescriptions for painkillers.

Kruger also noted that regions with the highest number of opioid prescriptions observed a high number of employees dropping off. According to Grtis's research also, for women, more work hours were lost between 1999 and 2015 (6.4 billion) than men (5.7 billion). Unfortunately, employers across the nation are having a difficult time in filling the vacancies because people are not able to pass the drug test.

Effects of opioids on body

The long-term use of opioids can have a devastating effect on almost all the body parts. Opioids can cause daytime sleepiness for which a stimulant might be required to counter the effects. Prolonged use is also associated with the development of major depression. Regular use can lead to slow breathing, respiratory depression, leading to organ failure. Opioid abuse is also responsible for causing nausea, constipation and for slowing down the gastrointestinal motility, which can result in perforation, small bowel obstruction and peritonitis.

Opioid use can lead to psychomotor impairment in which there is an overall slowing of the physical movements and loss of coordination. Long-term use can also lead to hyperalgesia characterized by an increased sensitivity to pain and is also responsible for low immunity. People abusing opioids often take acetaminophen that can lead to acute liver injury. If alcohol is added to the mix, it can lead to liver failure as its capacity for excreting the toxins gets affected.

Seek drug-free life

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (    CDC ), nearly 42,000 people succumbed to opioids in 2016 with 40 percent deaths involving prescription opioids. It's time that health authorities understand the magnitude of the problem and accelerate efforts in combatting the harmful effects. Addiction to opioids not just harms the user but also his/her family. Before it is too late, one must seek intervention to set things straight.

If you or someone you know is addicted to opioids or any other form of drugs, contact the Texas Drug Addiction Treatment to learn about the best drug addiction treatment in Texas. Call at our 24/7 helpline 855-980-5757 to know about reliable Drug abuse treatment centers offering personalized services.